Hope Is A Thing With Feathers
by TheBedroomBard
Summary: The untold tale of Alice Cullen. Set 20 years before she meets Jasper Hale, this tells the story of how human Mary Alice Brandon became vampire Alice Cullen. And how love knows no bounds. Love, betrayal, insanity and dancing! Review please,try and be nice
1. Chapter 1: Two Beginnings

**Chapter One: Two Beginnings. **

Nothing is as long as the wait for love. As I fiddled with my napkin, ignoring my coffee altogether I eyed the clock. He should be here by now, the waitress passed by me again clearly trying to hint that it was closing time. A few more minutes, that was all I needed I had been waiting on this night almost 44 years. I turned from the door and dipped my spoon back in my coffee that I had bought purely for show, what I thirsted for they did not sell in this diner. I ran my fingers through my short hair flicking it out at the ends, I knew this would just add to my slightly pixie look. I knew up to a certain point how tonight was going to unfold. But after that my mind went blank, typical that my vision couldn't extend beyond my own choice. The only thing I knew for definite was that everything that had happened to me, everything in this life and life before that I couldn't remember had brought me to this moment, to him. I took out the yellowed piece of paper from my purse, I had drawn it when I was six years old the first time I saw him. His face was not how it had appeared in subsequent visions, he looked happy and while his eyes were dark they were filled with joy and love. This brought a smile to my face and I gently folded it again and put it back where it would be safe. I heard the clouds rumbling as if to replace the butterflies in my stomach, the setting couldn't have been more perfect. I glanced down along my petite frame, I had spent hours agonising over what to wear. I had finally settled on a dress that was almost twenty years out of date as I had seen from my vision that he dressed in clothes from his youth. We would both stick out as anachronisms rather than for our pallid beauty. A soft rain began to fall and I knew that is was almost time, he would have to take shelter here.

I fixed my eyes on the counter as the cook walked past, people didn't react well to my eyes although everything else drew them in. I knew tonight though that someone would look into my eyes and not see a killer. There was a crisp silence as the jukebox changed songs, "My love must be a blind love, I can't see anyone but you'" the soulful voice sent shivers down my spine, amazing how many actions my body still remembered. I swayed along to the music, something that always brought attention to me, my constant dancing. My feet tapped the stool I was sitting on, the rain outside was my accompaniment . "You are here and so am I" I heard the little bell above the door jangle and for the first time in nearly two decades my breath was taken away.

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She held her breath as she counted out the beats of the music; one two, one two, one two. Soon it would be her moment, the tragic finale of Swan Lake. One two, one two almost time soon she kept repeating. She felt the music rise., this was it she had left the stage for a brief second but it had felt longer. She gracefully moved out into plain view slowly, allowing the music to swell to its most dramatic point and then ….she jumped.

She dove onto the soft mattresses that lay waiting for her. She could imagine the look on Peter's face as his prince imagined his beloved dying. She smiled at the thought that any second now he would join her down here on the mattresses allowing them a private moment away from the audience and the Count.

He fell with a light thud so close to her that she could smell the chalk he had rubbed on his shoes.

"You were.." he began looking directly into her almond brown eyes "magnificent." How he whispered magnificent sent shivers down her spine, "You too" she replied half giggling as they struggled to remove themselves from their padded seclusion.

"Peter, Alexandra!" a stagehand barked "Curtain call in two minutes kindly make your way to the wings." Alexandra sighed and fixed her feathery crown "Well Siegfried, shall we?" she asked mockingly.

After the final curtain went down and all the roses had been thrown Alexandra danced her way to her dressing room humming the music she had spent the last few months memorising. As she pirouetted in to her rather sizeable chambers she noticed another bouquet had arrived from the Count, massive roses plump with beauty. What a waste she thought to herself as she read his clichéd card, she began the arduous process of undressing and redressing. Polina her dresser was of great help to her when it came to doing up corset strings and removing extravagant costumes. As she was expected at the end of Season ball that night she chose her finest gown of navy silk to wear. Alexandra prided herself on her appearance, fine dresses and statement hairstyles were an essential part of her life. By no means was she shallow but dressing up was part of her job while she was with the Ballet Company. Her entire persona was make-believe, even her name was fantasy. Her family believed that no one named Mary Adelaide Brandon would ever draw in crowds so they changed it to something more exotic and less provincial.

As she slipped her gown on she turned to allow Polina access to the intricate buttons. This dress was a particular favourite due to its ostentatious decoration, its frilling depicted peacock plumage with its greens and purples sweeping all the way down to the ground, this was put to great effect while dancing. She quickly swept her hair up into an effortless chignon leaving a few tendrils loose. She unlike many of her peers refused to chop her long hair into the current fashionable bob. This she held together with two beautifully embellished combs; one made of the finest sapphires-, a gift from the count, that glittered with every movement, the other; a design made of emerald glass that Peter had given her during their second rehearsal to keep her hair from her vision. "Will that be all Miss Alex" Polina asked, Alexandra smiled at the nickname her maid had given her "yes Polina that is all for tonight, thank you." As Polina made her way to the door Alexandra called out " wait , I have something for you" she went over to her trunk and pulled out a lavender evening gown and handed it to Polina "For you, I think this colour will look quite exquisite on you this evening." As she handed it to Polina the servant girls eyes glistened with emotion "Oh miss I couldn't, this is one of your finest gowns -" she was interrupted by Alexandra "Shush now, just take the gown wear it tonight to the ball who knows whose eye you'll catch." Polina blushed as it was a well known fact that she and the stage hand Ryan were quite fond of gazing longingly at one another.

As soon as Polina had left the room Alexandra began to spin around , humming one of her favourite tunes. Mid spin she felt her head crack open, she fell to the floor clutching at her skull trying to remove the combs that held her hair in place. Open your eyes she thought to herself, OPEN THEM!! Why couldn't she see?? Total darkness had taken over her vision, she heard a small whimper from the corner of the room she turned to see its owner , it was Polina dressed in her lavender gown "Please don't" she whispered in desperation followed by a guttural scream. It was the scream that brought Alexandra back, she picked herself off the floor and wandered over to the mirror. With a few quick sweeps and twists there were no traces left that she had suffered some form of fit. This had only happened once before when she was six years old but her parents had dismissed it as it had been almost 12 years since its occurrence. She however remembered the incident quite clearly, it was one single vision a lone man in great suffering. A strong man being corrupted by his only weakness. For months she had cried because she could not help him. She knew what she would do if she were to ever meet such a man.

There was a soft knock on the door "Come in" Alexandra called trying to calm her nerves and absent-mindedly stroking her hair.

"Miss you car is waiting for you" an orderly informed her.

"Thank you Sergei I shall be down momentarily…hold on Sergei" she cried just as the boy was about to leave.

"Yes Miss?"

"How many alleys lie between here and the Banquet hall?"

"Over two dozen Miss, why do you ask? Sergei asked.

"Just curious, that's all thank you Sergei" Alexandra turned from the boy to hide her worry, in her brief vision in which she had seen Polina attacked in what seemed to be a dark alley. She decided she would make her driver visit each one until she was satisfied no harm had come to her maid.

Nearly ten alleys later and not one sign of Polina had Alexandra seen. She was about to inform the driver just to go directly to the ball when a flickering shadow caught her attention. It seemed to originate from the rooftops, Alexandra followed the dark figure until with horror she realised it was coming to an alley-way. She knew that whatever it was above her was tracking Polina who at any moment would be directly below it. She motioned to the driver to halt and she leapt with grace to the ground, she hurried to the lane to stop whatever vile occurrence was about to take place. Once she was shadowed by darkness fear washed over her. What was she expecting to do once she found Polina, if it was even Polina who this figure was stalking. Further and further she walked into the alley when she fianally heard the rustling of skirts. Polina was headed directly towards her "Polina" she called loudly enough so that the shadowy figure above would know that Polina was not alone. "Miss Alex…is that…is it you?" there was an undeniable terrified tone to Polina's voice. As she came into view Alexandra could see why, the shadowy creature had now come into formation as a tall man who was clutching Polina by the throat while another hand ran along her face. He had short hair almost cropped down right to the scalp, he looked quite young but his dark menacing eyes revealed his true age. Unsightly purple coloured bruises circled under his eyes, they were in stark contrast to his pale luminescent skin. His attire was unusual in that it looked as though it were never intended for him, as if he had robbed it off someone of his size and build. How strange Alexandra thought that while this man was savage and wild looking he was undoubtedly the most beautiful creature she had ever seen.

"Hush, hush my pet" he whispered into Polina's ear "the fun is about to begin." He turned towards Alexandra "and who my divine mistress are you?"

"My name is Alexandra Kuliniv, I am a dancer with the-"

"LIES!" the pale man interrupted her "what is your real name?"

"Adelaide Brandon but I am a dancer with the ballet" she wondered how he could have possibly known that her name was a fake.

"I know my sweet, everything about you gives that away. You have such….poise" he smirked. " I bet you would have put up more of a fight than this one" he yanked at Polina's hair now trying to scare her, the whimper she let out did not suffice. "Oh come now my pet, I couldnt shut you up earlier" and with that he pulled her head back , a scream and tears erupted from Polina as the monster laughed.

"Please, let her go. I can get you anything you want just don't hurt my friend" Alexandra begged unsure of what she coud offer him.

"Anything?" that sickly smile crossing his face again he dug his fingernails into Polina's neck, any harder and he would've drawn blood. His idle hand slid down her waist, under any other circumstances it would have been suggestive but it reminded Alexandra of a spider playing with it's prey.

"Y...yes" she answered her voice cracking as the man stepped even closer. His face was a mere breath away from Alexandra's when he inhaled deeply, his eyes rolled into the back of his head as he threw Polina to the ground.

"Thank you" Alexandra muttered as she helped Polina to her feet, she turned to escort her back to that car. She was startled when she went two strong hands clasped her shoulders pulling her from Polina.

"Not so fast you have to hold up your end of the bargain."

"What do you require?" she asked worriedly.

His answer was one word "You."

As he said this he moved his lips towards her neck brushing them gently at first, Alexandra was disgusted by such a request and retuned his advances by screaming and elbowing him in his stomach.

This alerted her driver and he turned the car down the alley, he raced along and soon he came upon the ladies and their insipid hunter. As he neared, Alexandra thrust herself away from the stranger just as the car pummelled into her would-be attacker.

The driver was soon by Alexandra's side "Are you alright Miss? I knew I shouldn't have let you come down here by yourself." Alexandra smiled at him to ease his worry "don't fret about it we're both fine, aren't we Polina?" Polina nodded her head too shocked to disagree.

The three of them made there way to the car "Would you like me to return you home Miss?" the driver inquired. "Certainly not! As prima ballerina I must attend tonight's ball" Alexandra wanted to go home but she knew her attendance was more important than how she felt. Not once did Alexandra look behind her for if she had she would have noticed that the body of the man who had just assaulted them was nowhere in sight.

She helped Polina fix her hair and straighten her dress along the journey. "Miss…" Polina began but was interrupted by Alexandra "Hush now we shall speak no more of this tonight, tomorrow we will discuss tonight's events. Now go and enjoy yourself I'm sure Ryan is inside waiting for you." With that the two ladies descended the car and into the ballroom.

The air was filled with the heady scent of perfume and cigars a most seductive scent, to Alexandra it would always remind her of ballet. Well the end of a ballet to be more precise. She lifted a flute of champagne from one of the passing trays , it still shocked her that at the tender age of seventeen she was entitled to live her life like an adult. She sipped slowly from the glass taking in not only its flavour but the whole room as well. All of today's most influential and infamous member's of society were there; business men with their flaxen-haired buxom dates, the elite who considered themselves patron's of the art merely because they could afford the nicest seats, tall women draped in strings of pearls and other precious gems who had also brought the men who had supplied them. The crowd was dotted with the ethereal figures of the ballet company, Alexandra gazed at each face until she found the face she was looking for. And the face she was not. Leaning on the grand staircase, that she had just waltzed down was the tall figure of Peter, he too had changed into his finery and was anxiously fiddling with his sleeve. Alexandra smiled as she realised he probably had not done up his cufflinks, a problem she would soon remedy. Directly adjacent to Peter was the Count, well he wasn't really a Count he had bought the title with his first million and been referred by it ever since. He was a huge contributor to the Ballet's financial needs. It helped that whenever they requested monetary assistance they would always refer to Alexandra, "Oh we need a larger stage so that Alexandra can leap higher and dance longer…" or "Alexandra is appalled by the unflattering light that hides her magical footwork, she simply insists on new lighting." All of which was untrue, Alexandra would have been quite happy to dance by candlelight if it meant she got to dance with Peter. The Count and Peter both locked eyes on Alexandra at exactly the same moment and unfortunately arrived at her place of standing in the same moment. Peter bowed out knowing that when it came to such social affairs he was not equipped to compete with the count.

Alexandra's smile was tinged with sadness as she took the Count's hand and directed him to the middle of the floor. The band were playing a lively jazz number that Alexandra easily followed, spinning and twirling allowing the count and everyone else to see her at her most beautiful. Next to such an experienced dancer the Count looked foolish so he was relieved when the band reverted to a more subdued sound.

The Count pulled Alexandra closer to him, revelling in such intimacy. His hands slid along the silk of her dress, she was a thin-built girl, her body had been shaped by years of poor upbringing long before it had become a willing servant of music. There was no denying that Alexandra was the most beautiful creature the Count had ever seen, she had a startling beauty yet was clearly unaware of just how beautiful she was. You were unable to feel jealous or resentful towards her because of her sweet nature that almost outshone her beauty. The Count was lost in such a stare that he barely managed to utter the words "I could make you immortal."

"Pardon me" Alexandra who had been searching the room suddenly turned to him with a look of surprise.

"I could take you to Russia, Paris, London anywhere you wanted. You could become the most prolific dancer of your time, possibly ever. You could dance in front of Kings and Queen's, millionaire's and Princes and Princesses, Emperors and other people of great consequence. You could live forever as the greatest dancer of them all."

Alexandra smiled sweetly as she untwined herself from the Count's clutches, "Thank you Sir but I must stay with the Ballet Company, they are like my family".

"I would give you anything you desired; gold, dresses, cars just name it and it shall be done" there was a pathetic pleading tone to his voice now, he sounded more like a lovesick teenager than a savvy businessman.

"All I have to do is name it?" Alexandra asked, unable to hide the growing smirk on her face. The Count mistakenly recognising this as submission eagerly replied "Yes and it shall be done."

"Very well then what I want most in this world is to continue dancing with the New York Ballet Company" she looked around now hoping to see a face she could turn to in order to leave this awkward conversation.

"They are holding you back!" The Count was growing angry now, since attaining his title he had never once been refused anything.

" I belong with them" Alexandra was determined not to be bullied by this man, she had her reasons for staying, the bright lights of Paris did not beckon her.

"Besides I could travel the world and never find a more perfect dance partner the Mr. Volkov."

A quizzical look spread across the Count's face "Who?" was all he asked.

"Peter, he is the male lead in the company. We've played all the great lovers; Romeo and Juliet, Siegfried and Odette-"

"I see" said the Count cutting her off mid-sentence "all the great lovers" he repeated slowly. His moustache began to twitch and Alexandra was positive he was turning red.

She excused herself from the Count's company and walked towards the balcony, when she reached the railings she closed her eyes and exhaled a breath she didn't know she was holding. She was not prepared for what happened next, two crimson eyes flashed before her., yet the did not terrify her. A soft southern voice laughed the words "I'm sorry ma'am." Why did these words comfort her? Who was the owner of these ruby eyes? Why were there butterflies in her stomach as she pictured these monstrous eyes looking down at her, there was an unrecognisable emotion in them. Something almost loving but bigger. She reached out to stroke the face that seemed so lost…

"ALEXANDRA!", once again it was a cry that brought her out of her fit. As she glanced around her she realised she was almost over the railings, during the vision she must have lost her grip. Peter wrapped an arm around her tiny waist and pulled her back, "what were you thinking" he whispered in concern. "I don't think I was" Alexandra could think of no other explanation. She looked in Peter's perfectly normal blue eye's unable to shake the image of the burning eye's she had just seen. She wanted to tell him but she knew he wouldn't understand, no one would. Best stick to what her mother had told her, keep it to yourself.

Peter noticed he was still holding Alexandra's waist, almost a full minute had passed and he was still holding her. She felt so soft under his touch, he had never had a chance to notice it while they performed. Alexandra was completely oblivious to all of these growing emotions within Peter and continued looking at the dazzling lights. He gently removed his hand and offered it to her "Shall we?" he asked. He spun her around and they began to dance, it was a mixture of all the styles the had come across during their travels with the company. They spun and twirled, high-kicked, jived, waltzed, cha-cha'd their way around the balcony. Alexandra's feet barely touched the ground her arms swayed and her head bobbed, it was as if she were made of rhythm. As she came towards Peter he wrapped one arm around her waist and held her hand with the other. He lifted her then dipped her, where Alexandra was graceful and light Peter was fluid and strong. He made dancing look easy, as if any man could spin and lift a woman at the same time.

Alexandra let out a musical laugh as he spun her again but gravity takes hold of even the best dancers and they both tumbled to the ground in fits of giggles. They had forgotten they were at a ball, that they were in the presence of the elite and noble, that tomorrow they would have to wake and learn new steps for the next ballet. Tonight they were two young people dancing under the starlight, inspired by such romantic settings Peter cupped Alexandra's face and brought his lips towards hers. His lips emanated heat and smelt of lime, and although Alexandra liked the taste she found herself pulling away before they touched.

"I'm sorry" was all Peter managed before she stopped him.

"Don't be… I don't mind" Alexandra scolded herself on the inside for saying something so…predictable.

Peter groaned as she said this "Don't mind… don't mind. Is that all you feel towards me, passive indifference?"

"What do you want me to say?" Alexandra was not skilled in the art of men, yes she could dance with them but after that they were a mystery to her.

"I want the passion you show for me onstage! No one who dances like that would utter the phrase "I don't mind". Hit me or something getting annoyed and stomp off, or kiss me back!" he finished this off with a smile so Alexandra knew he was joking. Truthfully he adored Alexandra's calm side, she was able to manage everything and took it all in her stride. He hugged her and whispered "lets forget all this nonsense and rejoin the party." Alexandra simply nodded and took his hand walking towards the doors.

Neither one of them noticed the man watching them from the shadows.


	2. Chapter 2: Understanding the Night

Alexandra woke the next morning with a smile on her face, humming the music she ha danced to last night she got out of bed. She wandered over to her dresser and began to brush her hair and apply her face for the day. It suddenly hit her that today she was scheduled to visit her family, she let out a groan as she envisioned the conversation she would have with her parents. She picked out her most demure dress, a light grey number with a chiffon overlay. Her family would not appreciate her exhibitionist style so it was best to keep it simple. She walked out to her dining room were Maria had breakfast waiting for her, she was surprised to see a person with a newspaper spread out waiting at her table.

"Hello?" she asked trying to muster a tone of mild anger at such an inconvenient intrusion.

"Good Morning Miss Kuliniv you're looking quite fine this day" the man came out from behind his newspaper.

"Who are you?" Alexandra was annoyed that she could not think of better things to say besides the obvious.

"I am Geoffrey Hadden, Count Wright's attorney" he said in all seriousness but Alexandra had to stifle a giggling-fit at the Count's last name.

"Pleasure I'm sure, may I enquire why the Count has sent someone to disrupt my breakfast when he could have done it himself in person?" Alexandra was surprised at the callous remark that had just left her mouth, but in all honesty breakfast was her favourite meal.

" I am here to discuss the proposal made to you last night by the Count, he would like you to reconsider."

"Why is the Count so insistent on this matter? I made it perfectly clear that I am staying with the Ballet Company!?" Alexandra was frustrated and hungry and had had enough of this conversation.

"The Count is one of the noveua riche my dear, everything is for sale, even you." with that Mr. Hadden leaned forward as if to inspect Alexandra.

She tried to remain calm and composed but the look of disgust spread across her face "Well Sir if you've convinced me of anything today its to skip breakfast I have completely lost my appetite" and with this she turned and marched out of the room not once looking back at Mr. Hadden.

Later that day Alexandra was packing up a small bag to bring with her on her visit to her family, her efforts were severely slowed down my her swollen elbow, she imagined she had hurt it while dancing.

as she folded her twelfth pair of stockings she heard a little knock on the door.

"Come in" was all she could muster as she fought with an unruly evening dress, a mass of red curls came through the door "Ah Polina, come in." Polina was still visibly shaken from last night's events, "Afternoon Miss" was all she managed before she collapsed into the nearest chair. Alexandra rushed to her side fanning her when she got there, Polina was still clearly shaken from last night's events.

When she finally came around Alexandra had a glass of water waiting for her, while sipping it she managed to splutter out how sorry she was for everything.

"None of this is your fault" Alexandra tried to soothe the girl as best she could, "he attacked you in a dark alley, we are both ok if not a bit shaken but otherwise perfectly fine." Alexandra couldn't understand why she was being so calm about this whole situation, she should have been in shock or at least shaken to the core but somehow last night's incident fascinated her rather than frightening her. It made her uneasy that she found familiarity in the supernatural and terrifying.

"But is Miss" Polina began "he didn't just attack me out of nowhere, up until you called my name he had been quite gentlemanly." Alexandra didn't try to hide her shock "you spoke to him before he attacked you?"

"Well after I left you last night I went to an empty changing room to try on my new dress, I was twirling and dancing in front of a mirror when I noticed him behind me. At first I was embarrassed that he had seen me dance but then I got angry when I realised he must have been in here the whole time-while I was getting changed" Polina turned a bright shade of raspberry as she admitted this. "But he was so kind Miss, he told me that he had only seen me twirl in front of the mirror and asked whether I was a dancer with the company, I laughed explaining to him that I was your dresser and he acted shocked and told me I should seek a higher position. I think he was only trying to compliment me after embarrassing me so much , and forgive me Miss Alex but I played along. It's not every day someone around here showers me with compliments." Polina looked quite upset as she said so Alexandra wrapped an arm around her to comfort her "Polina there is nothing stopping you from auditioning for a show."

"Oh Miss, I have no desire to be a dancer! It's just I see how everyone looks at you, even when you're not onstage and I just wonder what it feels like" Alexandra didn't mention how lonely she felt in a crowded room, as if someone was missing.

"So this after we both laughed and spoke for a few more minutes he asked if he could accompany me to the ball and foolishly I said yes." fat tears rolled down Polina's face. "He left saying he would be back in half an hour to take me, I finished getting ready and before I knew it there was a soft knock on the door. He stood there looking like prince charming from a fairy tale. He was handsome before but now he seemed to dazzle, he had changed into a suit, I guess to continue on with the ruse that he was escorting me to the ball." a bitter edge was creeping into Polina's voice.

"As we stepped outside I had to stop to get a full look at him, under the moonlight he looked positively beautiful. Miss I swear I have never seen such a striking person in all my life. His skin was a silvery white as if it were made of moonlight. The purple marks under his eyes didn't diminish his beauty and those fiery eyes excited and terrified me at the same time. I let out a little gasp at which he laughed and then took my hand and walked in the direction of the banquet hall. He whispered poetry and compliments in my ear as we walked, humming a little as well. At one point he twirled me right into him and looked deeply into my eyes. Magical is the only word I could use to describe this walk…."Polina stopped suddenly, "I just don't understand why he changed." The fat tears turned into loud sobs and Alexandra who had remained silent, threw her arms around Polina gently rocking her.

"As we turned down the alley he pulled me closer wrapping his arms around, he looked up towards the rooftops as if looking at the stars. That's when we heard your voice, he let out a snarl and wrapped an arm around my neck. It was of he had turned into some sort of beast. I let out a yelp for which he hissed in my ear, he told me to repeat exactly what he told me." Polina looked exhausted as she finished her story. "So you see Miss it is my fault, I was a foolish girl who believed the lies of a stranger just because he was handsome."

Alexandra looked Polina right in the eye "Listen to me Polina, anyone could have fallen for this man's charm, I saw for myself how handsome he was. Have you told anyone else about this?

"No miss, they would think I was mad. A beautiful man with fiery eyes and no shoes attacking women after he has spent a night romancing them."

"No shoes?" Alexandra hadn't noticed his feet. "Yes miss he was missing shoes, on both occasions I saw him. That wasn't the only thing that was odd about him, Miss did you notice how cold he was? And he felt like a statue, when he pulled me towards him I hit his chest and a rush of pain shot through me."

Alexandra looked down at her monstrous elbow, "Yes Polina, I did notice that."

After an hour of talking and comforting they decided that Polina should go home and stay with her mother while Alexandra was away. "Try not to think about it and stay in doors at night." Alexandra walked Polina to the door "Oh and Polina you can call me Alex if you want, you don't have to keep referring to me as Miss."

"Oh thank you Mis-I mean Alex, you can call me by my real name id you'd like"

"Real name? Here I was thinking only dancers changed their names." she tried to hide her laughter.

"Yes Mi-Alex! I changed it to something more exotic sounding when I got my job here. I picked it out of a Russian book of names."

So did my parents, Alexandra thought to herself. Polina walked to the door just as she was about to leave Alexandra shouted "Wait, you haven't told me your real name."

Polina laughed, "Silly me, well Alex all my friends call me Vicky" with that she stuck out her hand.

As Alexandra wrapped her hand around it she thought, nice to meet you Vicky.

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A/N: Dun, dun , dun! Just a small in-between chapter before I get to the more exciting stuff!

This is my first fan -fic so I'm learning as I go!

Hope you are enjoying and please feel free to comment, review or just say Hi!

Love ya all!


	3. Chapter 3: My Secret Family

Three trains and a taxi ride later Alexandra arrived at her home of Biloxi, Mississippi. The sweltering heat made her dress cling to her and she wished she had time to change before she went in to greet her family. Filled with dread she climbed the few steps to her door and with a heavy heart did she knock on it. Her mother arrived to the door and hesitated for a moment before opening the screen door, once she had recognised the refined young woman to be her daughter she flung it open and pulled her child towards her. Looking over her mothers tight embrace, Alexandra saw the money she had been sending them was being put to good use. The furniture gleamed and the place seemed lighter than when she left it. "I hardly recognised you with all those fancy clothes" her mother exclaimed as she pulled away from her. Choosing her most demure dress hadn't worked, she still looked like she was part of the elite rather than quite humble girl she really was. As she stepped inside she hear her mother yell "John, John! Mary Alice has come home." Another of Alexandra's nicknames, it was a wonder she remembered her name at all. Her father came in from the back garden, he clearly had been dozing as half his face was slightly red in comparison to the rest. As he walked forward he stuck out this hand to greet his daughter. Affection was one of the many things Alexandra's father was incapable of doing, he had hurt his back when Mary Alice was two and had been out of work since. It embarrassed him that he depended on the income of his eldest child to support him and his family. "Where is my sister?" Alexandra asked wishing to get the unpleasant formalities out of the way. "Cynthia is in her room, do you want me to show you?" her mother asked hoping Alexandra would turn down her polite offer. "No, no it's ok I think I can find it myself. As she headed up the stairs she could here the whispering begin between her parents. Cynthia's room was right where Alexandra expected it, where her room used to be. They've replaced me, she thought bitterly to herself. Trying to make up for the freak they had before, angry hateful thoughts were running through her head now as she knocked gently on the door. As she entered a little brunette head popped up from behind a massive doll house, "MARY ALICE!" she cried. At least someone is happy to see me she thought to herself. Cynthia pummelled into her sister almost knocking her to the ground. "Mama didn't tell me you were coming home. You don't know how much I've missed you." She nestled into her sister's arms and started to root through her bag, "did you bring me anything?" Alexandra laughed, she had to admire her sister's forthrightness , "Of course I did, but its not in this bag it's in my trunk downstairs." Cynthia flashed a toothy grin at her sister and ran down the stairs , "Be Careful! Alexandra yelled after her. She stood up and walked around the room, it had all changed so much since she was a child. It was bright and full of all that was good, the way she remembered it was dark and dreary but it was her only source of comfort. Somewhere to hide while her parents agued over what to do with their defective child. It was also the place she had had her first vision, she knelt on the floor laying her head against the wood. She remembered it all so vividly, she had been playing with the only two dolls she had, probably some game of brides and grooms when her head felt like it had been set on fire. She could see a man lying in a dark room, he was in enormous pain as a thousand snakes bit him. His wounds scorched from their venom as he lay there helpless against his captors. The thing that had startled Alexandra the most about this vision was that the man looked right into her eyes and just uttered the word "please."

It was her mother who found her lying on the ground half conscious, they couldn't afford a doctor so they tried to fix her themselves. It was strong slap delivered to her by her father that brought her out of dream-like state. They locked her in her room after she explained what had happened to her, her parents were very scared of the unknown. After three days of solitude her parents sat her down and explained how she would repeat the events of the last few days to no one, people would not take kindly to a little girl who saw visions of Satan. When Alexandra tried to explain that she didn't have a vision of Satan she was threatened with another two days of imprisonment. She quickly learned how to be silent against her better judgement.

That night when she was sure her parents had gone to bed she snuck downstairs and stole a piece of paper from her father's notebook. She lit a candle in her room and began to draw the man she had seen, he was not writhing in pain or being tortured by a thousand fire snakes. Instead she drew him happy and smiling, the smile she had seen when he uttered the word "please." It was as if he had been speaking to her and only her at that very moment. She hid it under a loose floorboard under her bed and looked at it in times of sorrow and grief during the following years.

"What are you doing?" Cynthia had come back from downstairs to find her older sister lying on her bedroom floor with glistening eyes. "I was checking the…um floorboards" Alexandra blurted out, not really thinking about how pathetic it sounded. Thankfully Cynthia was still too young to really question the adults in her life so she just let it go. "So do you like her present? She asked changing the subject, Cynthia remembering the bundle she held in her hand ran over to her sister "I love it, thank you so much!" She thanked Alexandra with thousands of little kisses all over her face " A ballerina doll, just like you."

"I knew you would like it, what are you going to name her?" Alexandra enquired.

"Emmm…..you choose" Cynthia had used up all her names on her other dolls.

"Ok lets see…..well she has blonde hair and rosy cheeks, so how about Rosie?"

Cynthia looked in horror at this suggestion " You can't name a ballerina Rosie!"

Alexandra laughed as she realised her sister shared the same name-snobbery as her parents, "Ok then how about just Rose?"

"Much better" Alexandra was glad to see this suggestion had been approved.

She stayed with her sister awhile longer, brushing her hair , playing make-believe and telling her stories of her time with the Ballet Company. After two hours she decided she should make another appearance downstairs. She had just reached the stairs when she realised she needed to freshen up more than anything.

She was glad to see that much of the money she had been spending had been invested in the bathroom. While she could not wait for the water to heat up she decided to bathe in cold water, she lay there for awhile just soaking, twirling her hair and rubbing her feet which needed the most attention.

She applied all different types of smelling creams and perfumes to herself and brushed her hair dry.

Seeing as it was just reaching the afternoon Alexandra put on a light cotton dress, hoping this would remind her mother that she hadn't changed much from the girl who used to live here.

She was half way down the stairs when she realised the whispering hadn't stopped..

"Why has she come back here, huh? To see if we're spending her money correctly!?" her father hissed.

"Now John, you know Mary Alice wouldn't do such a thing, we raised her better than that!"

Alexandra had to suppress a snort as her mother praised her own parenting skills.

The irony was apparently not lost on her father either "Are you out of your mind Helen? We didn't raise her to be anything better than us, and look how we live. Living off the scraps our daughter throws to us from the big table like some kind of dogs. We spent so long afraid of her and now we're living off her."

It didn't surprise Alexandra that her parents were afraid of her, she remembered during her childhood how every now and then one them would look at her as if to ask why god, why us? She remembered whenever they went to church her parents would also let her go in first, she later learned it was because they feared God would punish a disciple of the Devil by burning the church down.

She felt she had listened to them long enough and decided to make her presence known. She flew down the rest of the steps and entered the room. Her mother came over and played with her hair and told her how pretty she looked. Alexandra announced she was going to for a walk claiming she wanted to reacquaint herself with her hometown, when in reality she needed to escape her house for a few hours.

Nearly an hour later and Alexandra had immersed herself in all Biloxi had to offer, she had wandered into various shops and purchased some items of clothing. Famous for its maritime exploits and beautiful ocean scenery Biloxi had a cornucopia of seafood restaurants all of which beckoned Alexandra with their glorious smells. She headed towards her favourite place in all of Biloxi, the Bond Grant House. It had been built when she was just three years old as a wedding gift and to Alexandra it was the most beautiful house she had ever seen. During the darkest moments of her childhood she had imagined escaping to this big house, inside she would discover her secret family who loved her and excepted her abnormalities. As she skirted the outside of the house running her hand along the white fence she sighed at thought of the life she never had. She returned to the sea front and found what she had been looking for, a record store. She found the selection to be poor but picked up a few things she felt might inspire her. It was growing dark when she decided to return home, wishing she had brought a coat with her she wrapped her arms around her to keep the breeze from giving her a chill.

She took one last look at the street before turning the handle on the door, she wanted to remember it just like this, quiet. She could smell dinner as she entered the hall and her stomach growled. Cynthia ran down the stairs, still not over the excitement of her big sister being there. As she barrelled into her she yelled to her mother "Mary Alice is home." She noticed the bags in her hands and immediately began to root through them, finding a bag of taffy she was quite happy and began to guzzle them.

"Not until after your dinner" Alexandra scolded her as she snatched the bag away.

"But we've already eaten" she protested.

They didn't wait for me, Alexandra thought to herself. Its like in not even here. She handed the bag back to her impatient sister and walked towards the kitchen.

She saw her mother drying the last of the dishes and humming to herself. Alexandra was too angry to speak so she sauntered over a cupboard and pulled out a glass. It was not until she had filled it with water did she finally alert her mother to her presence "I'm home, by the way." She flinched at the tone she was using, why could she not sound more bitter and less pathetic!?

Her mother turned "I know. I heard Cynthia hollering, you're spoiling her by the way. All those dolls and sweets, those are thing your father and I can't afford to give her when you're not here."

This infuriated Alexandra "You can't afford anything" she yelled.

"I pay for every goddamn thing in this house. You get more than enough of my wages to live off of, so excuse me if I spend money on the only one of you who deserve my help!" she could feel the anger boiling up inside of her, she was feeling dizzy and she knew what was about to happen. She had to leave the kitchen, it couldn't happen here. Not now, she thought to herself, dear God not now.

She didn't even stop to register the look of shock on her mother's face, she just ran up the stairs and locked herself in the guest room. She just made it, her head practically shattered with the pain. She could make out two figures in the distance, one was male the other was a small female. They were swimming, the female blushed at how exposed she was to her companion. Why couldn't she make out their faces? The smell of strawberries clung to the air and the sun was warm on their faces, the male let out a yell as he jumped off rock. Oh no, he didn't notice how shallow the water was or the sharp rocks under it. The female grows nervous as his body remains submerged, she lets out a scream as she notices the water turning a crimson colour.

Alexandra sat up with a gasp, this was her first vision that had not featured her flushed-eye friend. Who were those people? Why was she seeing such horrible events, Alexandra spent that night as she had spent most nights in this house, weeping silently for people she could not help.

The next morning she found that a telegram that had been received last night shoved under her door.

It simply read "I am coming."

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A/N I keep forgetting to write at the top that all Twilight related things belong to Stephenie Meyer, but then we already know that!

Ok so I lied in the last A/N this is a mostly filler chapter but with some crucial points that will come into play later on, I promise. So let me know what you think its always appreciated and as I've said before this is my first fanfic so be gentle!


	4. Chapter 4: Strawberries mean love

Almost two weeks had passed since Alexandra's outburst and the mysterious telegram. She kept it in her pocket at all time, rereading its odd message over and over again. An odd kind of peace had broken out between her and her parents, they were pleasant to one another and always waited for her to eat dinner. It was nearing the three week mark when Alexandra began to grow restless; she had seen all the sights, shopped in all the stores and listened to all the stories she could about catfish.

It was a sultry Tuesday morning when she heard a knock on the door, she had just finished pinning up her hair when she walked over to open it. She let out an excited squeal and leapt towards the man on the other side of the door. "Are you really that bored" laughed Peter as wrapped his arms around her tiny waist. "Almost" she giggled back as she nuzzled into him, they parted when they heard a loud cough coming from behind them. Alexandra's father stood their disapproving of such an embrace, Peter moved towards him. "Hello allow me to introduce myself, I'm Peter Volkov, Alexandra's dance partner."

Rather than return Peter's greeting, Alexandra's father looked at her, sneering "You still using that god awful name we gave you when you started all this nonsense?" Alexandra wanted to yell at him that it was because of "all this nonsense" that he had a roof over his head. She was mortified that he had revealed that her name was a fake in front of Peter and she was upset that he had been so rude to her friend. But she kept it all inside and simply laughed and asked Peter did he want anything to drink.

Her father noticing where he was not wanted left them to it but tut-tuted as he made his departure.

"So why did you come down here?" Alexandra asked while pouring his drink.

"To see you of course. That and New York is rife with tourists at the moment, making it impossible to enjoy the city." Peter glanced around the room, gathering it all in.

"You snob" Alexandra laughed as she handed him his drink "you're just as much a tourist in that city as anyone else. Where is it you're from again, Texas?"

"So what is there to do in this place" Peter asked dodging the question.

"Well there's fishing, shopping, swimming and whole lot of catfish."

"Swimming eh? Not a bad idea, how bout you and I take a little road trip. Make a day of it, pack a lunch and everything."

Alexandra asked him to give her five minutes and they could leave. She ran upstairs throwing a few things into a small bag. She slipped her swimming costume on under light dress, pulled on a pair on shoes and was ready to go. She stopped to check her reflection in the mirror. She could here more whispering coming from her parents bedroom and she swore she heard one of them utter "cheap hussy."

She fought back the tears, put on her brightest smile and ran down to Peter.

Peter had rented a great big Ford while he stayed in Biloxi, within an hour he and Alexandra arrived at the aptly named Big Lake. They wandered along the water's edge until the found a nice spot to rest, Peter set a blanket down and began to unpack the lunch he had brought with him. They sat in a comfortable silence, the only noise the clanging of their forks and sips from their cups. The uneasy tension that had been building up in Alexandra for the past few weeks disappeared in Peter's presence, as she finished her lunch she lay down on the blanket and let out a quiet sigh. The sun was soft on her face gently warming it, she felt Peter move the dishes back into the basket and lay down next to her. They lay like that for a while; hearing one another's breathing, in out, in out. The steady rhythm lulling Alexandra to sleep, she scooted closer to Peter as she felt a light breeze. Peter stared down at his sleepy companion unsure of how to act, he wrapped an arm around her to the test the water. When she did not protest he placed his other arm around her, pulling her towards his chest.

Alexandra felt his heart beat , combined with the steady breathing she went from half-sleep to fully asleep.

Alexandra woke with a start, she didn't know how long she had been asleep but Peter was no longer by her side. She looked around hoping to see his tall figure in the distance, twenty minutes had passed and still no sign of him. She began to grow worried, what could she do? Where was there to go? She looked towards the water…

She walked towards the edge, her eyes straining to see any form of life out on the water. Twice she mistakenly recognised branches and other floating debris as Peter. She hadn't noticed that she had walked into the water, it was getting closer and closer to her waist.

"ALEXANDRA!" she had never been so relieved to hear his voice, she turned to face him, then realising how far she had waded into the lake. Her face was a bright red colour as she walked towards his laughter, "here" he said "a strawberry for my strawberry." In his hands he had several large juicy strawberries, he gave the largest of them to Alexandra.

"Had I known my leaving would upset you this much I would have left a note" he mocked.

"It wasn't the leaving, it was the waking up alone" Alexandra flushed an even brighter red at what had just come from her mouth.

"I mean, one minute you were here and the next gone!" she hastily explained.

"Well an elderly couple walked by earlier and described such beautiful fruit that I had to go and see for myself, I thought you might like some after your nap." it was his turn now to turn red.

"Thanks" Alexandra replied taking a bite from the juiciest looking one, "but technically strawberries aren't a fruit, they're a member of the rose family" What am I babbling on about? She thought to herself.

"I would prefer a bouquet of strawberries over a dozen roses" she added unable to prevent the babble.

Peter laughed at her unusual preferences but continued to eat, unsure of which he was enjoying more the food or the company.

"I think it's time to swim" he said eyeing the lake.

This was the moment Alexandra had been dreading, she was wearing a flimsy swimming costume under this and was not prepared to be this exposed. Sure she had worn leotards and the like in front of him hundreds of times before, but this was different. They were alone and semi-clad. Peter did the gentlemanly thing and left her while she changed, he came back with eyes closed asking if it was alright to look. It took Alexandra a moment to reply but eventually said it was fine. He tried not to stare at her shapely legs and small waist, he did his best not to gaze too long at her creamy skin. He failed however when she walked towards the water, not to notice how her beautiful long hair gently curled at the ends exposing the bare white skin underneath. Her dance-like walk entranced him to the water, he followed helplessly. She submerged herself in the water and when she surfaced her skin glistened with moisture, Peter felt himself falling deeper and deeper. Brace yourself, he thought to himself.

Alexandra had to walk in front of Peter, if she hadn't she was sure she would have spent to long gazing at his upper body. His back was long and his shoulder blades jutted out in a quite muscular way, his shoulders were broad and strong without being beefy and heavy. That would have slowed his dancing career. His truly spectacular feature though, were his arms. His arms were a little too long but they were perfectly defined, each muscle rippled under the sunlight. These were muscles built from labour and necessity rather than vanity, Alexandra was reminded of all the times these arms had lifted her and caught her. She dove under the water and thought, get a hold of yourself.

They swam in uneasy tension for awhile until Peter unable to take it anymore splashed Alexandra with a large amount of water. She floated there, shocked for a moment before she let out a giggle and splashed him back. They began a light hearted water fight for every splash he gave her she would drench him back, he dove under the water swimming beneath her. Alexandra was unsure of his tactics but soon she felt a hand wrap around her ankle he tickled her feet. What a dirty trick, she thought to herself, when he surfaced she placed both her arms around his head and dunked him back under the water. She playfully held him there until she felt him gently pinch her arms. She let him rise to catch his breath, it took a moment for her to realise her arms had slid from his head and were now wrapped around his neck, resting gently on his shoulders. She felt his hands rise to her waist, they were now embracing but couldn't understand why. Alexandra didn't know what to do so she went with her gut instinct, she removed her arms and gently pushed herself off his chest. She floated a few feet away from him unable to look him in the eye.

Why did she do that, Peter thought to himself. He had felt that was the moment, just lean in he had been thinking. Just kiss her! But his fear got the best of him and he just about managed to put his hands on her waist. He looked at her avoiding him and felt the embarrassment grow inside, he swam towards a large rock that jutted out of the water and climbed on top of it. He needed a moment to be alone and process what had almost not happened. He looked down at the cold water, how tempting it looked.

Oh just say something, Alexandra thought to herself. You can explain it, at least try to fix it. She snorted at her own thoughts, she couldn't explain that moment. What did she want from Peter? She had to stop getting into these types of situations with him. She looked over at his lonely figure sitting on the rock, there was something so familiar about this image. Alexandra lay down in the water gently bobbing up and down. She tried to think rationally about the entire situation, but as she soon came to realise there is nothing rational when it comes to love. No that can't be it, she thought, I can't be in love with him. I would know wouldn't I?

How can she not know how I feel? Peter thought to himself as he picked away at the rock. He wanted to yell at her that he wasn't coming down till she saw sense and decided to fall madly in love with him too, don't be silly he thought. He could still taste the strawberries he had picked especially for her.

The sun gently brushed across Alexandra's face as she replayed the day's events in her head; the nice lunch, the pleasant nap, the delicious strawberries she could still taste.

She bolted upright as she thought of the strawberries, like her vision their smell lingered in the air. Floating above her, taunting her.

The sun was slowly burning Peter's back, "Damn it" he cussed, looked like he was going to have to go back in the water. Back to her. He stood up to plunge himself into the refreshing water, longing to be hidden if only for a moment.

Alexandra saw Peter stand and prepare himself to dive, she knew what was going to happen. She had seen the bloody water and felt the scream rise in her throat. Her mouth was now parched, she mustered a scream. Nothing came out except a desperate rasp, oh please God she thought, let him see the rocks at the bottom.

Peter cast his face toward heaven, feeling the warmth and trying not to think of Alexandra. He took a deep breath.

There was nothing for it, she began to swim nearer to him to warn him. She reached the shallow water before she expected and was easily able to run to him. Look down you fool, she screamed on the inside.

She tried once more to raise the alarm but nothing came out.

Peter stretched his arms out, loosening the tight muscles in his back and dove finger first into the ocean.

He felt himself collide with a soft body, he opened his eyes just in time to see Alexandra's head beneath him. There was a light splash as the two bodies hit the water. Peter stood up realising how shallow the water was, it barely reached his hips. He realised Alexandra hadn't surfaced yet, he frantically searched the water for her. "Alexandra!" he screamed as he thrashed about, desperately grabbing at the water. Finally he felt her small hand, he pulled it towards him. Alexandra's head lolled back and her entire body was limp. He pulled her closer to him to carry her. He scooped her up and ran towards the water's edge, he yelled to people in the distance for help. He lay her down on the picnic blanket, her face was rapidly changing colour. He pulled his hand from under her head, it was covered in a scarlet liquid. Blood. His screams intensified as he pleaded for help. Everyone rushed towards him to see what had happened to the pretty girl. All that is, except the unusual looking man hiding under the shade of a tree, trying desperately to control his hunger.

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A/N: Ok I promise it will get really interesting soon enough. Not just filler but actual vampire stuff and FIRE!! And a love scene that will knock your socks off!! Hopefully. Remember though that I studied at the Stephenie Meyer school of seduction, its frustrating and long-winded but ultimately worth it! LOL

Ok let me know what you think, if you'd like me to pick up the pace or add more of anything ie. Love, action, Jasper, magic, sex, star wars. Anything.


	5. Chapter 5: All That Could Be

Alexandra was comforted by the strong arms around her, a soft voice whispered three small words in her ear. She turned to face her lover, she was greeted by the loveliest sight she had ever seen. He seemed to be made of sunlight, his hair shone gold as the sun bounced off it. He looked deeply into her eyes, she could see all the pain and suffering was slowly leaving his body. Alexandra ran her hands across his broad chest, her skin dazzled just as his did under the sun. She took one look at the large white house in the distance and snuggled into his embrace. "Welcome home" she sighed.

Her happiness didn't last long, the sky tore open and black smoke filled the air. Her lover vanished before her eyes, dozens of birds circled above her. She ran to seek cover under a nearby tree, this set the birds after her. They swooped down and began snapping at her head, arms and body. She ducked and tried to protect herself from their razor sharp talons and beaks. One plunged straight in her chest, just missing her heart. She let out a blood curdling scream as she fell to the ground.

The sound of the birds and storm disappeared, she raised her head to see what was happening.

She wasn't greeted by the sight of a field, instead she was in a beautiful room filled with light. She was sitting at a dresser and two women stood above her fixing her hair. They were laughing at something the woman with the caramel hair had just said as the brushed Alexandra's hair. The blonde lady who was inhumanely beautiful was fixing a necklace around Alexandra's neck. These women were obviously stunning but the also glowed with love, and they were directing it all at Alexandra. She brought her eyes up to look at her reflection. She gasped at what she saw, she was a bride. Yes her hair was different and her face seemed dramatically altered, but it was most definitely her. Her hair was cropped, and stopped just at her cheekbone. The women had put gentle waves into and clipped it just at her eye level with two diamond clips, from these clips flowed a thin delicate veil. She followed the veil as it fell down her dress, she touched the embellished bodice that led to her flowing skirts. The top layer was the softest feathers that swept down into a dramatic train, this covered a simple silk skirt that went all the way to the ground. She, like the women around her, was emanating a glow. It poured from her skin dazzling everything it touched. She had never seen colour like this before, she noticed the various shades of blue in the sky outside her window, she saw the tiny subtle fleck of gold that ran through her wedding dress. She could feel everything, she heard a babbling brook but she couldn't see its source out of her window, she felt the breeze from the flapping wings of the birds above her. She looked at them nervously in case they repeated their actions in the field.

A large man of rugged beauty came to the open door, the sultry blonde walked towards him holding out her arms to embrace him. Alexandra looked away from such an intimate moment, the two beautiful figures fit together perfectly. Never breaking gaze with his beloved he whispered "it's time" as he motioned in Alexandra's direction. She stood taking this as her queue that the wedding was about to begin, they both nodded at one another. The bear-like man entwined his fingers with his golden haired lover, they turned to Alexandra, their stunning faces contorted with hate. They flew at her, as the burly man wrapped his hands around her neck, the lady twisted her legs until she heard a bone-crushing crack. The kind looking lady who had remained motionless during this horrific turns of events produced a sharp blade and began slashing at Alexandra's dressing. Blood poured from the tiny wounds she was inflicting. The two females began pulling on her hair, ripping massive chunks of it out . Alexandra screamed at them to stop, she begged for mercy and she whimpered for them to remember they were her family. The blonde took the blade from her partner and sat atop Alexandra, and just like the birds she plunged the blade towards Alexandra's heart. Just as she made contact with her skin a gust of wind came in and blew her attackers to dust. Alexandra shielded her eyes to protect herself from the falling dust.

Within a moment the wind had stopped, Alexandra was afraid to look at the damage they had inflicted on her body. She was relieved to find that the only wounds left were the ones on her shredded dress.

She managed a shaky stand and walked through the door the male attacker had come from. Her situation altered completely, she was now in an apartment living room. A raging storm was brewing outside, a tall figure was standing looking at the rain. Alexandra recognised him immediately as her lover from the field. She couldn't explain why, but Alexandra felt safe in his presence. She walked towards him still unsure of how to act in front of this man. He turned as he heard her footsteps, there was a sorrow and pain to his eyes that had not been there before. "I don't know why…" he started but couldn't finish his sentiment so turned back towards the rain.

Alexandra slid an arm around his waist and turned him to face her again, she looked into his eyes, for the longest time they stood like that. She watched as he read every expression that crossed her face, he studied her gentle eyes that looked at him as if they knew more about him than he knew himself. His right hand raised slowly and brushed her cheek following its contour towards her lips, Alexandra closed her eyes as he traced the map of her face. He slowly moved down her neck where he let his hand rest on her shoulder. He placed his idle hand on her hip, he then moved it around to the small of her back. Alexandra realising her hand was still on his waist pulled him closer, he moved his right hand down her shoulder pulling her arm around his neck and placing his hand above the small of her back.

"I don't know why" he began again "you chose me." A puzzled expression crossed his beautiful face.

"I'm not right" he continued "I have done such…unspeakable things." The words were getting caught in his voice. "I know we are of the same kind but when I look at you, when I feel what you feel…" he was getting lost again. "I don't deserve….those feel….." he was trying desperately to lay all his faults out for her to see so she could choose differently. "I'm in pieces, I'm the wreckage leftover from a disaster." He moved his hands towards his shirt and began to undo his buttons. His muscled chest was a mesh of crescent scars, silver threads ran through, connecting them. "But you look at me…and I'm fixed. I can't deny who I am, who I was, I don't deserve you."

Alexandra placed her two hands on his face and pulled him towards her, she stopped him mere centimetres from her face. She brushed her lips against his, humming gently as she continued along his jaw line towards his ear.

"Whatever you have done, whatever you have been is what brought you to me." Alexandra wasn't quite sure what her beloved could have done that could change how she felt. He pulled away from her walking back towards the window, when he got there he motioned to Alexandra to join him. He pulled her into an embrace , the both faced the window his arms resting gently on her hips. They stood there for several minutes just staring at the rain create patterns on the window, a thought suddenly occurred to Alexandra and she turned to tell him. As she turned her feet got tangled in the loose rug that was under them, she tripped and was falling backwards on to the edge of a coffee table. She knew she was going to hit her head; she imagined the damage it would cause, there was no time to stop it from happening.

She turned to look at her lover one more time before she hit her head but he was not standing where she had left him. She could no longer feel herself falling, she lowered her eyes to the strong arm around her body while the other protected her head. How did he move so fast? , she wondered. He lay her down with a gentle thud on the ground, concern crossed his carnelian eyes. Alexandra was very aware that he was practically lying on top of her, she felt this was an inappropriate thing to notice after he had just saved her.

He had both his arms placed either side of her face, his strong arms kept his torso floating tentatively above her. He was surveying the position they had wound up in, every thought but one was screaming at him to move. This was too fast, they had just met. But one single thought, much louder than the rest, screamed that she was made for him. Their bodies were tangled together, her small perfect frame covering his damaged and ugly pieces. He looked down at her, really studying her face trying to find some hint of protest or disgust. All he saw was the overpowering love he had sensed as soon as he walked into the diner. She was unlike all the women he had encountered in the past century, when she looked at him she did not see him as a threat or a weapon. She understood him better than anyone had ever even tried to understand him. Their eyes met and he felt how she had the moment she saw him, completely and utterly loved. He knew now that there was only one possible direction from here.

Alexandra registered the changing look in his eyes, hope had turned into something else, something more. He lowered his angelic face towards hers, he stopped as she had, mere centimetres from her lips. He waited there for the length of a breath, he looked down at his saviour, his redemption. Her hands slid along his scar covered chest and around his back pulling it towards hers. Every part of them touched now with the exception of their lips. An odd thought crossed his mind "Why did you turn so suddenly?" he asked, remembering how they had ended up at this moment.

Alexandra blushed, "I had a thought."

"Must have been a good one." he joked and for the first time that night and almost a century, a wide smile crossed his lips.

A joke at last, Alexandra thought to herself. At that moment they both had the same thought, the rest of my life is going to be with you.

He gently kissed each of her eyelids and moved down to his original position, hovering above her mouth. He finally brought his lips down on hers, this produced a small moan from deep within Alexandra. He kissed her gently for a moment, tiny sweet kisses at first, more like whispers than kisses. She brought her hands from his back to his hair, she pulled him closer needing to feel him. He was the only person she needed, he responded to this need by deepening the kiss. He stole inside her mouth and she responded in the same manner. His arms swept her up, she pulled him closer till there was not a breadth between them. He moved from her mouth down her neck towards her collar bones, she released another sigh. The ground began to shake beneath them, the walls shattered into tiny pieces. A voice somewhere in the distance called her name. Not now, she thought, not when I'm finally happy. She pulled him back towards her mouth, she now initiated the kiss wrapping herself completely around him. Tears formed as she realised what was happening, she broke the kiss to look once more at his face.

He seemed undeterred by the collapsing world around them, it just made him hold her tighter.

She kissed him for the last time, as she was being pulled by some magnetic force she heard him whisper the words, "find me."

Alexandra woke in the Biloxi hospital with a scream.

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A/N: Okay I've never written a love scene before so this was like an experiment for me!! I hope you like it, so far I am loving the direction the story is going. STAR WARS that was for my fourth reviewer!! Reviews are always appreciated!


	6. Chapter 6: Broken Life

It had been a night of screaming and thrashing, nurses remained constantly at Alexandra's side. The drugs they had given her didn't lessen the pain, she whimpered and cried begging for mercy. At one stage she yelled that her family were killing her, John and Helen Brandon looked on with fearful worry. What was happening to their daughter? Who or what was tormenting her in her sleep? They had to tether her arms to the bed to keep her from scratching at the long wound that stretched down her neck. Peter remained in her room at every available opportunity, whispering to her not leave him, not like this. He traced her hand gently trying to soothe some of the pain she was in. Sometime before dawn she seemed to calm down, her temperature dropped and her breathing relaxed. Although he couldn't be sure, Peter thought he saw a faint smile cross her lips. He began to repeat her name; "Alexandra, Alexandra, Alexandra…"

As the sun spilled into the room Alexandra began to shake again, a doctor rushed into aid the nurses as the injected various calming agents into her veins. Out of worry and lack of sleep Peter began to scream her name louder and louder above the sound of the medical staff.

Alexandra broke free of her ties and started to grab at the air as if searching for someone, she screamed "Not Now, it's too soon!"

Her body shook violently as it writhed in pain, she arched her back as if something was pulling her up. As she fell back to her bed her eyes shot open, a piercing scream came from inside her, possibly her heart. Then the tears started and they did not stop for three whole days.

Peter felt helpless looking at her lie in her tiny bed, her family were of no comfort to him. They blamed him entirely for the situation, they kept rambling on about money and who was going to look out for little Cynthia now?

On the third day he could take it no more, "YOU! That's who is going to take of your 'little Cynthia.' I have never met such selfish, self absorbed pigs in my entire life. Your eldest daughter is lying here, half dead and being tortured towards the white light. If you can't help or pray for her soul then get the hell out of this room, no in fact get the hell out of this hospital!" he shook vehemently as this bile fell out of his mouth.

The Brandon's were not used to being spoken to in such a manner so they saw no other option other than to get the hell out of the hospital. As they scuttled away a handsome male doctor came to the door.

"On behalf of the hospital I have been informed to tell you that raising your voice or any form of noise pollution is strictly prohibited." his voice was as lovely as his face. He took one look at Peter's lovelorn fatigued face. "But on behalf of myself I say bravo, those two have been nothing but trouble since they brought that little girl into this world." he flashed a dazzling smile that comforted Peter. The striking doctor turned his topaz eyes towards Alexandra's bed. "And it seems I am not the only one who appreciated the show." Alexandra was sitting up in her bed, still obviously shaken but with a broad smile across her face. The gilded doctor left them with a soft laugh as he went to check on other patients.

Peter ran to Alexandra's bed throwing his arms around her, he inhaled her scent trying to block out the smell of the hospital. Her arms wrapped loosely around him, her muscles still ached from the previous shaking and thrashing. "I missed you" he said looking at the almond eyes he had waited so long to see again. Alexandra didn't have the heart to tell him that she had not missed him at all.

He pulled back from their embrace, Alexandra could detect something in his eyes, a lie perhaps?

No that isn't it, she thought to herself. "What's wrong?" she asked unsure if she wanted to hear the answer. He looked down at the blanket fiddling with a loose string, he eventually brought his eyes back up to hers. "Don't you notice anything different?" he asked unable to shake the sob that was rising in his voice. Alexandra looked around the room, at him, trying to absorb as much information as she could.

"No, what do you mean? Please don't be cryptic" she added knowing he would have a hard time spitting whatever it was out.

"I'm so sorry, you have no idea…" his eyes were watering.

"What?" she whispered.

"I brought you right here after you hit your head, but…but…I think I waited too long." glistening tears rolled down his cheeks.

"I don't know what you're talking about?" her voice was barely audible at this stage.

"The doctors….they tried…..they really did. That blonde doctor even scrubbed in at one stage. In the end it didn't make a difference. Alexandra, they think…they…you may never dance again." he closed his eyes awaiting her sobs.

This was all too much for Alexandra, she had lost too much in the past few days. Anger ran through her body, rising like bile. "Get out", she hissed. Peter looked at her with sad eyes but resigned himself to her demand, he stood up and left. As soon as he was out of earshot Alice pulled her sheets off her legs. She stared down at them, they still looked as they had before the accident. The doctors were wrong, she convinced herself. She slapped one of her legs, nothing. She ran her hands along them her calves felt soft under her touch. She had been sure that before they had felt tight and strong. A tear fell from her eye and dropped on to her leg, she couldn't fell it trickle down. She used her hips to swing her around so that her legs dangled over the edge. She pushed herself further using her arms, she scooted until she was literally hanging off the bed. With one final shove she fell to her feet, she teetered between standing and falling for a brief moment before tumbling to the ground. During her descent she knocked over her night stand, flowers, charts, cards all fell around her. Her ruckus only attracted one lonely porter who was moving beds outside, he rushed inside to help her back in bed.

"What happened Miss? Do you need me to call a doctor?" he was nervous about carrying such a delicate girl.

"No, no don't bother. Just help me back to bed." She wrapped her arms around his chunky shoulder, he lifted her easily and soon she was back between the sheets.

"What were you trying to do Miss?" he didn't mean to pry but it wasn't everyday a pretty girl fell into his life.

"I tried to stand but evidently…" she trailed off, if she said it out loud that made it real.

" You find yourself unable to?" he suggested in earnest help.

"Something like that." there it was again, that bitter tone. She pictured every step she had taken, every move she had made in a ballet. All the times she had subjected her feet to torture in the name of art. The tears started again, this made the porter feel awkward.

"Miss…" he began, not really sure of what he was going to tell the seventeen year old ballerina, who couldn't walk to make her feel better. Then the porter remembered the only real story he knew, the one that would stay with him for the rest of his life.

"Me and my wife Ethel, we got two kids. Jack who turns twenty three this coming month and Elizabeth who is just eleven years old." Alexandra didn't really know the relevance of this information but she listened anyway.

"Well Jack, he's a good lad. Bright, athletic, sweet natured like his mom. Full of honour too, which is why, about a year ago he joined the army to fight in the war. I don't know if your following the news Miss but they're saying this is one of the worst wars we have ever faced. Everyday there are more and more deaths, families have been torn apart. People leaving and never coming back. Naturally Ethel and I are worried about our boy, he's so young to this world. But he wanted to go and we knew there was nothing we could do to deter him." the porter stopped to see if he was boring Alexandra, she was listening now with genuine interest.

"So he's gone for nearly six months and we've received no letters or anything in about 2 of those months. Ethel begins to fret and I try to keep a brave face, but every morning I wake hoping that today is the day his letters arrive. Another month passes and still nothing, no news of anything. Well we're halfway through another month at this stage when we read in the newspaper that base where Jack was stationed had come under attack, there were no reports of survivors. Well this broke my wife's heart, she sobbed and sobbed for days on end. The grief however effected me in the most peculiar way, I was struck down like a prisoner in my own body. I couldn't move, speak do anything by myself. For an entire month I was bedridden, my home became a house of ghosts. Where there had once been laughter there was now the echo of tears and heartbreak. My sister Lucy came and took Elizabeth to stay with her and her boys for a bit. This seemed to break my wife out of her heart-stricken daze, she knew she would have to cope, for Elizabeth. I watched her every day from my fleshy tomb, she kept our family going. She took care of me and didn't begrudge me my grief, I fell more in love with my wife than I thought possible. She moved from being the love of my life to being the whole cause and worth of my existence." he had to take a breath, Alexandra could feel tears welling up in her eyes. She felt she would never know such love, love that endures through even the most horrible of conditions. She had lost her dream-lover by being brought back to life, to live in this world without him.

The porter continued "So we, or should I say she struggled on as best she could. Times were tough but everything that fate threw at us we managed to overcome. About two months ago we're both sitting in the dining room, she's trying to tell me about the bills we need to pay and all I want to do is tell her how beautiful she looks, how proud I am of her. We hear a little knock on the door and she walks out to get it see, all the time still going on about who we owe money to." he chuckled a little as if he knew some joke no one else did.

"Next thing I know I hear her holler 'Oh my god', I don't need to see who it is. I had been waiting half a year for this moment. That's when it happened, I knew I couldn't stand let alone walk to the door but I felt a cool rush flow through my veins. Every part of me was being cleansed, grief and sadness were being replaced by love. I pushed the table away from me, using it to steady myself as I stood up. I shuffled out into the hallway, and there he was. A little scarred and looking older than when he left but he was still my boy. I trudged over to where they were both standing, tears glistened in Ethel's eyes. I knew there was only one thing I had to do with my regained mobility. I swept my wife up to my arms and kissed her the way I had been longing to kiss her practically our entire married lives. I kissed away the pain and suffering of the past few months, I kissed away the bills and the debt, I kissed away everything until it was just her and I expressing our deep love for one another." he stopped there, waiting for Alexandra to speak.

"What do you think it was?" she asked.

"That kept her going and cured me?" he asked unsure of what she meant.

She nodded her head waiting for the answer she needed.

"I'm not a well educated man and I don't have many philosophical thoughts but here is how I see it: Hope and Love. The only two things that really matter in this world. Hope kept my wife going; the hope that Jack would return, that I would be cured and that life could get better. That after we had suffered there would be peace at last. Hope cured her, whereas the product of that hope cured me. All the love and care my wife put into taking care of me and our daughter helped heal my broken spirit. Hope didn't give my wife wings, or anything as grand as that. What it gave her was much more important, it let her live. Love brought me back to life."

Tears were now streaming down Alexandra's face "so what you're saying is?" she sobbed.

He cradled her in his arms, "What I'm saying Miss is that when you find something or someone who needs you like I needed Ethel, well as they say love conquers all." he patted her useless legs gently as he rose off the bed.

He left Alexandra to mull over the story he had just told her, she lay there wondering if it was true. Could love bring her back to life?

Alexandra did not sleep well that night, she had awful dreams of fanged beasts clawing at her skull. "Give us the sight", they would shriek digging deeper and deeper into her head. She woke around three am and reached for the glass of water on her nightstand. She miscalculated how far away the glass was and ended up spilling it on the ground. She let out an angry sigh and was about to call for help when she heard a chilling voice "Tut-tut m'dear, someone's going to have to come in here now and clean that up." The stranger stepped into the moonlight, the cropped hair, the savage eyes Alexandra wanted to scream at the sight of the attacker from the alley. "And we wouldn't want that, now would we?" a malicious smile crossed his inhuman face as he stalked towards Alexandra's bed.

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A/N thought I would leave it on a cliff-hanger….dun dun dun!!

Hope you enjoyed it, the next few chapters are gonna be pretty interesting, lots of stuff happen. I dunno when I'll be able to update again when Uni starts so ill post some nice long chapters over the weekend. Hope you have enjoyed and as ever reviews are always welcome. In fact I think they make me type faster! LOL!


	7. Chapter 7: The Warm Up

The pounding of Alexandra's racing heart was like music to his ear's. This is going to be fun, he thought to himself as he slowly moved towards her small frame shaking in the hospital bed. His steps were light but quite forceful, he moved like a predator of the wild rather than a man. Had he the rolling shoulder blades and yellow eyes Alexandra would have likened him to a tiger or jaguar she had seen once in the New York Zoo. She almost laughed out loud at the silliness of what were surely her final thoughts as her stalker clearly had malice in his crimson eyes.

She tried to steady her shaking body and retain some composure, she would be graceful and dignified in death as she had been in life. She ran through a list of things she wished to ask her killer in some bid to delay the inevitable. But all she could think were the same inane questions that she had read every damsel proclaim before her impending doom.

"Why?" she whispered finally, afraid that any tone louder would result in cracking and tears.

"Why not?" he smirked back, he did not care for long winded explanations. He was a predator and she his prey, no further details were required. His eyes rolled into the back of his head as he got closer and her scent became even more intense. He often wondered how he had never sensed such potency during his human life, but now during his second life he realised that each individual came with their own unique tantalizing odour. He reached the foot of her bed and swiftly manoeuvred his way over her bedpost so that he lay merely inches from the soles of her feet. He began to crawl towards her, his impressive yet frightening body pressing down on her. The air was being pushed from her body, she scratched at his torso in a lame attempt to defend herself. He was now lying on top of her completely, were someone to walk in on them they would assume they were in some lover's compromising position.

He ran his fingers through her hair, stroking her face leaving his cold touch on her skin. She let out a tiny gasp as he brought this mouth towards hers, lingering there for a moment until he gave her a harsh, slimy lick. Alexandra recoiled in horror at such a foul act, she willed herself to speak or scream, at the very least try and defend herself properly.

He grabbed her face by each cheek between one hand.

"Listen sweetheart, while you're out here in the sticks you're off limits. Certain-complications have arisen, turns out this is a marked territory."

His voice was harsh and his words did little to explain her nightmarish situation.

"So right now the game has been postponed" he continued "but that doesn't mean we can't have a little…fun." An ugly grin spread across his handsome features as he once again plunged towards Alexandra's mouth.

She whimpered as he lay a forceful kiss upon her, she writhed with discomfort under his touch. Freeing her lips from his she let out a an almighty scream. This outburst forced the creature off her, he seemed to fly to the furthest corner of the room.

"So kitten doesn't want to play right now, well not to worry there will be plenty of time to make up for that later." He zoomed across the room at inhuman pace. "Just remember as soon as you set so much as toe back in New York you become fair game." He grabbed Alexandra's wrist and dug his fingernails leaving crescent shaped marks in her pale skin, he pushed his mouth down towards her neck and softly kissed it before leaping out the window just above her head.

The door suddenly burst open and two orderly's and a frazzled looking nurse rushed in to check on the screaming Alexandra.

A/N: Right I'm sooo sorry i havent updated in a long time and that all i have to offer you is this but bare with me. I am planning some major developments and I have some free time coming up soon so I will seriously update then! Sorry and much love to all my readers. Please feel free to leave reviews, I love getting feedback!


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